Final Homestand Sends 2011 Season Out in Style

CHARLESTON, S.C. - It's that time of year ... again. With fall around the corner, another season of Charleston RiverDogs baseball is about to come to a close, but not before the club sends it out with a five-game homestand offering the Lowcountry faithful their final chance to "Be Your Own Fan" in 2011.

 

From September 1-5, the RiverDogs welcome the SAL Southern Division rival Asheville Tourists to Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

 

The final Budweiser Thirsty Thursday of 2011 jumpstarts the extended Labor Day weekend and does it with patriotic flare.  Charleston's favorite professional sports team will reach out to local service men and women once again by offering free tickets to military personnel and their families, thanks to a partnership with Force Protection Industries.

 

Whether you bleed Clemson orange or South Carolina garnet, tailgating is a huge part of the college football experience.  The last Lowcountry Local First Go Local Saturday giveaway of 2011 ensures fans will be comfortable as they prepare to watch pigskin, with the first 1,000 fans receiving a RiverDogs transportable tailgate chair.

 

A special 6:05 p.m. start time concludes another banner campaign for Charleston's favorite professional sports team on Dogs with a Cause Night, featuring American College of the Building Arts.  Fireworks bookend the 70-game home slate, allowing fans one last Riley Park thrill before the offseason.

 

The rest of the homestand slate:

 

Thursday, September 1 - 7:05 p.m. vs. Asheville Tourists: Budweiser Thirsty Thursday, Force Protection Industries, Inc. Military Appreciation Night #3

The RiverDogs pride themselves on giving back to military members of the Lowcountry and do so for good reason.  On the third Military Appreciation Night of the campaign, the RiverDogs and Force Protection Industries are proud to welcome military personnel and their families to the park on the house.  The night begins with a pregame C-17 Globemaster flyby from Charleston Air Force Base.  Pregame and in-game promotions will give the rest of the Charleston faithful plenty of chances to rain down applause for the local heroes who will wear digi-camo jerseys that will be auctioned off during the game via a silent auction that benefits the Ralph Johnson VA Hospital, presented by Women in Defense.  Fans won't want to miss the final Budweiser Thirsty Thursday of the season, as The Joe plays home to $1 beers in the Ashley View Pub and fresh music, courtesy of the stylings of DJ Natty Heavy.  Kelly G from 95 SX's hit show Two Guys and a Girl will be on hand to throw the ceremonial first pitch and mingle with fans throughout the night.

 

Friday, September 2 - 7:05 p.m. vs. Asheville Tourists: Force Protection Industries, Inc. Red Shirt Friday, Piggly Wiggly Postgame Fireworks, Boy Scout Night #2

Lowcountry youngsters are some of the most ardent supporters of RiverDogs baseball, and the club is honored to give special recognition to Boy Scouts for the second time this year. Area boy scouts will take their place alongside RiverDogs players for the National Anthem and participate in numerous demonstrations on the concourse during the game.  The final Force Protection Industries, Inc. Red Shirt Friday of the season offers fans an opportunity to start Labor Day weekend off properly by wearing a red shirt and receiving a $1 off their ticket.  If you're feeling charitable, you may donate that dollar to a military family with parents fighting overseas.  Fans can also bid on the red jerseys the RiverDogs have worn every Friday through an in-game silent auction which will send winners home with a special memento from the 2011 season. Added entertainment value will be provided on the concourse by the School of the Arts Piano Boosters, who always put on a great show while raising funds to support the school.  All season long, the RiverDogs have been encouraging fans to receive discounted tickets by bringing three canned food items to the box office. On this date, the RiverDogs are happy to present those meals to the Lowcountry Food Bank along with a matching donation from Piggly Wiggly. Piggly Wiggly Postgame Fireworks send the final Friday night of the year out in stunning fashion, lighting up the night sky over the scenic Ashley River.

 

Saturday, September 3 - 7:05 p.m. vs. Asheville Tourists: RiverDogs Tailgate Chair Giveaway, American Systems $1 Donation for Every Fan in Attendance, Lowcountry Local First Go Local Saturday

A Roberto Alomar Rainbows jersey and Josh Hamilton bobblehead are just two of the great giveaways Charleston's favorite professional sports team treated its fans to this summer, and the final freebie won't disappoint.  The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a RiverDogs tailgate chair just in time for the start of football season, courtesy of American Systems and ABC News 4.  Also, American Systems, a leading provider of federal IT and engineering solutions, will donate $1 for every fan in attendance and collect donations for the Folds of Honor, whose mission is to salute the sacrifice of fallen and disabled serviced members. The Raising Cane's Launch-a-ball contest has been a favorite postgame activity of fans all year, but it has also contributed to a great cause in the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy. During the game, the club will present a check to assist the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy in their constant mission to care for employees and families of law enforcement and emergency service agencies. Tricounty residents will save a $1 on their ticket and learn about some of the best local businesses in the Holy City and beyond thanks to Lowcountry Local First.  After the game, children can take to the diamond for Kids Run the Bases.

 

Sunday, September 4 - 5:05 p.m. vs. Asheville Tourists: Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission Family Sunday, Pre-Game Catch on Field

Fall Sundays may mean the NFL, but there's no better place to bide time than by spending the final week without pro football at The Joe.  Sunday is a day to wind down before the start of another grinding work week, and fans can do so by saving cash, which is just as good as money.  On CCPRC Family Sunday, everyone can "Be Your Own Fan" while taking advantage of FREE PARKING and KIDS EAT FREE, presented by Pepsi. Participants in the weekly pre-game catch on the field will get to share The Joe's diamond with the RiverDogs as they make a donation to the Teacher's Supply Closet. Fans who have purchased public address announcements all season have lent a helping hand to the organization, which serves the schoolchildren of the Lowcountry by giving school supplies to Tri-County teachers for use in the classroom.

 

Monday, September 5 - 6:05 p.m. vs. Asheville Tourists: Fan Appreciation Day, Season Finale Fireworks, Dogs with a Cause featuring American College of the Building Arts

Thanks to the RiverDogs' partnership with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, fans have enjoyed three special Party at the Park events which featured drink specials and live music while the team was on the road. Funds from those good times will go directly to a good cause, as the RiverDogs make a contribution to the Winwood Farms home for hundreds of abused, neglected children. Community outreach is an essential component of the "Be Your Own Fan" philosophy and Dogs with a Cause Nights are another valuable piece of it.  Presented by 105.5 The Bridge, American College of the Building Arts is this week's featured ally.  Spectators can also enjoy $1 beers in the Ashley View Pub as one extends the weekend with Hair of the Dog Mondays, presented by 98Rock.  Fireworks are a staple of the Friday night experience at Riley Park, yet the RiverDogs go all out on Fan Appreciation Day to provide the perfect capper to the season by bringing the pyrotechnics display to Monday night.  A spectacular fireworks display will follow the final out of the 2011 season, evoking a summer-full of memories and whetting the appetite of fans for the 2012 campaign.

 

For more information and to order tickets to any RiverDogs game, please call the Riley Park Box Office at (843) 577-DOGS (3647) or log on to www.riverdogs.com.

 

 

--RIVERDOGS--